Track-laying machine.



H. CARLSON.

TRACK LAYING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED Fue, 1999.

1,027,373. g Patented May 21,1912.

Nl 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

AH'. CARLSON. TRACK LAYING MAGHINE. APPLIUATIQON P ILED IE]3.23, 1909.

1,027,375. i Patented Mayer; 191,2.

s annu-SHEET ai ////////l//////////A f 'JALMAR CARLSON, or DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

TRACK-LAYING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HJALMAR CAnLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Laying l\lachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to improvements in track-laying machines, and has for its object the provision of a machine of this character of the automobile class, which, pro

vides its own track or runways, and serves the purpose of a compact and ecient machine for supporting and moving devices as hoisting machinery, derricks, shovels, or other implements, thusproducing a compact and self-contained implement for the purpose.

The invent-ion consists essentially of al platfm'm supported upon suitabletrucks and wheels, the latter moving over a pair of endless rails, which are connected to a series of supporting ties. And it further consists in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangements of parts for actuating and operating the. prop peiling means of the machinery of the de- .vice, and also means for steering the implement.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one example of the physical embodiment of my invention `constructed `according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles.

Referring to the drawings which form a part ofthis dspecification, and in which similar reference numerals indicate llike parts, .Figure 1 is a. broken' plan view of the machine, with platform and steering mechanism removed. Fig. 2 is a broken vertical sect-ion of the, machine on line 2*,2 Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a broken vertical section of the machine on line 3-3 Fig. 1. F ig. 4 is a detail plan view of the steering mechanism. Fig.

5 is a-plan view of one of the cross ties,

l upon which the implement is supported,

showing the jointed portion of a rail at one end; portion of the propelling chain in the center, and the device for 'holding the rail in place at. the other end of the tie. Fig G a. sectional view on line 0 6 Fig. 5. FigQ'I is a -vertical section the section being taken as online 7-7 Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a Specification of Letters Patent.`

Application led February 23, 1909.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Serial No. 479,536.

sectional view, showing in detail the adjustable support for the sprocket wheels.

ing stanchion illustrated in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of one of the rail joints. Fig. 11 is Va section on line 11-11 Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a section online 12-12 F ig. 10. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the reverse side of rail joint shown in Fig. 10, and Fig. 14 is a perspective v-iew of a` rail joint. Fig. 15 is an enlarged'detail longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a tie, showing the spring pressed detent for locking the members together."

The platform 1 should be of suitable strength tosupport a derrick, shovel, or other implement, and. is supported preferably upon double 'trucks 2, The axle 3 of one of lthese trucks Imay have connected thereto motive power in the form of an electric motor, gas engine, or the like, or may be 'connected to an engine carried on the platform 1, (not shown).

At each end of the car platform 1 a yoke or stanchion 5 is suspended, and upon the ,'supported. Each bracket 7 has journaled therein a sprocket wheel. S. over which passes the sprocket chain 9, which, as clearly shown in F i0'. 8 is propelled by fingers or prongs 10 formed on the gear wheel 11. The wheel 11 istlexibly supported by means of shaft 12, between the pivoted frame 13, one end of which has the shaft 12 journaled therein and its other end being pivoted on shaft o' axle 3, and arln of hook 14, which is connected to a bolt 15in the frame or platform, by means of a spring 1G. The gear wheel `l1 is in mesh with a drivinggear wheel 17 on shaft 23, and the flexible support of shaft 12 permits play or adjustment to changing conditions when the machine is moving over uneven ground.

The propelling chain may be tightened or slackened by means of the device more clearly illustrated in Fig. 'As shown in said figure, the sprocket. wheels 8 are mov- 'able .longitudinally of the machine through the medium of their brackets 7. The ,brackets are movably supported on the surscrew 18` is thraded into a hole 19 in the bracket and its shoulder or collar 20 bears againsta perforated` lug 2l formed on the bar G. If required a spring 22 may be inlower outermost cross bar (i, a bracket 7 is i.

Fig. 9 shows the bent portion of a supportface of the bar (i of the stanchion 5, anda llt) terposed between lug 21 and a head 23 of the screw to act as a buffer, and the bracket may be moved away from or towardA the machine by turning the screw, as will be understood.

From the above description it will be evident that the two stanchions '5 support the adjustable brackets and idler sprocket wheels over which travel the propelling sprocket chain, and that the chain is caused t'o travel through the medium of motive power applied to shaft or axle 3, gear wheels 17, 11, and fingers or prongs 10, the latter engaging the links of the chain.

The chain 9 carries a series of sectional cross ties 24, and a section of each tie rigidly and firmly secured tothe chain. Thus the tie comprises two end sections or pieces 25 and an intermediate portion 2G. The intermediate portion 26 of each tie is formed with two parallel side bars 2T, 27 each of which is rigidly secured to the chain 9 as ,indicated at 28, and the end pieces are provided With side tongues 29 adapted to slide in and out 4in the Vgrooves 30 in bars 27. A spring 31 with a detent 32 is secured to the end sections. The detent projects through a hole or perforation 33 in the end section, and,-w-hen the sections are in position to be locked, also projects into an inclined groove 34 in the intermediate section, thus limiting the outward movement of the sect-ions. As the end sections are brought toward each other, the detent 32 rides up on the bottom of this groove, being held in spring pressed Contact therewith, which releases the locked joint between the intermediate and end ,pieces at the initial movement of the end piece toward the center of the tie.

As clearly shown in Fig. l there are two endless sectional rails, upon which the wheels of the trucks travel. These endless rails are made up of sections or pieces 35 jointed together so that they may travel around the guide wheels 36, pivoted at 37 in the yokes or stanchions 5.

The joints of the rails are clearly illustrated in Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. The

web of one end of each section 35 is cut away at 38`in order to receive the shuttle piece 39, which is slidable therein and at Aits outer end is fashioned into a hook 40. The hook 40 is positioned to partially surround a post 41 formed between the head and base of the adjacent section 35, and offset from the line of the web` as clearly seen in Fig. 12. The joint is ilexibiy crunected to the end sections ot the cross ties by means of the post 42 which is embedded loosely so that it may swivel in the tie and is provided with ears 43 at its upper end for connecting the bolt 44. The shank of the post 42, as seen in Fig. 7, is embraced by a yoke 42 mounted, as at 42", as seen clearly in Fig. 5. This bolt 4l is termed with an eye 45 surroumling continuous preferably by the adjoining ends formed with the overlapping piece 46'and underlapping piece 47 of the rail heads.

Thus the continuous sectional rails are flexibly secured, at their joints to the movable end sections of the sectional cross tie, and movement oi' the continuous rails around their guide wheels atI the ends of the machine is elfeeted. Preferably wheels 3G are formed with cut away corners or recesses 48, to receive the post 41 ot each rail joint -as said joint passes around the wheel. ln this manner the rails 35 are held in engagement with the-wheels as the ties pass around the ends of the apparatus. To facilitate the movement of the rail sections at their turning points, the cross ties may be provided with rollers 49 over which the sections may move as they turn on the wheels 3G.

In operating the machine it may be found necessary to steer the same, and provisionis made for this requirement in the following construction. Each stanclnon 5 is pivoted to the car platform, and is movable on` its pivot, the mechanism being duplicated at each end of the car, so that'the description of one device applies to both. The stauehion 5 is provided with an upright post 5() which is loosely journaled in a head 51 formed integral with the pivoted bracket 52. This bracket-52 is pivoted at to the ear platform and has journaled therein the post 54 of a hand wheel 55, a rack wheel 56 being fixed to the lower end of the post. rl"his rack wheel isadapted to engage the seg-I mental rack bar 5T which is rigidly fastened to the car platform. Thus by turning the hand wheel the bracket is swung on its pivot either to the right or lett (Fig. 4) andas the bracketcarries with it `the stanchion, said stanchion likewise carries with it the propelling chain and endless tracks with their series of cross ties.

The modus operandi' of the machine is `as follows: Assuming the driving sha'lit properly driven,.the train ot gears operates the connections to propel the driving chain 9 over the idler sprocket wheels at each end of t-he machine. The chain carries with it the attached cross ties, which in turn are connected at the joints to thesectional rails and thus carry the rails. Assuming the machine to be traveling toward the left iu Fig. l, the cross ties on th(` upper side ot the chainl) are turned upside down and moving lorward, as are also the portions el the rails adjacent lhe upper side ot the chain.. lVhen theI ties are upside down the end sections the sliding end sections are ,carried outs:

wardly by reason of the rail passing around theaguide Wheels, and asthe chain 9*.passes dewrfietr the idler "sp-rcken*thetendfsec tionsl 're 4 en@ l 0f rgnaaefaithaeleegth. effi-he tie Will be governed`1 the vga'gef the track' required, l but of course the lntermediat "5*port1'o'n-of the tie must be Within the lihes'pf'the ianges of the truck Wheels. Theprbpel'ling! chainv must of coursebe of suiiicient strength to manipulate the endless-track Way, and these features `are properly Worked out to suit different :conditions of service. j

From the above description taken in connection with the drawings rit is evident that I have produced a machine which fulls all the conditions set forth as the purpose Y' and object of my invention.

Slight changes or minor modifications may be made in fthe construct-ion and assemblage of the elements of the machine, but such colorable'changes I consider Within the scope of my claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is 'Y y 1. The combinationwith a pair of jointed endless tracks and guide Wheels therefor, ofy a series of cross ties connected tothe joints of said track, a frame supporting the tracks, and propelling means, supportedin said frame, for actuating the tracks to lay down the cross' ties at the front of the machine and pick 'the'V up at the rear thereof.

2. The 'combination with a pair of sectional endless tracks, a series. of cross ties attached thereto, and guiding means for said tracks, of a pair of Wheeled trucks on vthe rails, a platform onthe trucks, a frame suspended Afrom the platform, and propellingv means for actuating said tracks to lay the cross ties at the front of the machine and 6,0

pick them up at lthe rear.

3. The combinat-ion with a pair of jointed endless tracks and means for guiding them,

offajpropelling medium, and sectional cross tx`e3connected to said propelling medium` aad tracks.

senin Chaine faire j frames, cross Y t-1 looselyconnected Q and ay pair of endless sectional trackways 4. The combination with a platform supportedupon Wheeled trucks, of a propelling chain suspended therefrom, cross ties rigidly attached to said chain, a pair gef endless sectional trackways loosely connected v.to said crossy ties, and mea iof they Wheeled ucksf y'fepellingieliai fflcombina onwith platf mhsup'? porte apta-wheeled frue1 ;s, g 1e' Sj' pending frames. on the pl forv y @mimi-a ,pair er differing @ne ff S 'ing saidpopell'ing' clain'f The combination with a movable pl'atform of a pair of movable stanchions suspended therefrom, means forswinging said stanchions on a pivot, a propelling chain suspended in said stanchions, cross ties rigidly connected to said chain, and `endless ttrackways connected to said ties.

8. The combination with a platform and its wheeled trucks,- of a propelling chain 'supported from said platform, actuating means flexibly supported from the platform and engaging said chain, said actuating means being operated from the truck, and a continuous trackway operatively connected to the propelling chain.

9. The combination with a propelling chain and means for actuating it, of a series of sectional cross ties portions of which are rigidly attached thereto, a pair of endless jointed trackways and the jointsof the tracks connected to the cross ties, said ties having rollers' thereonyk to facilitatethe travel of the trackways.

10. The combination with 'a propelling chain and means for actuatingit, of a series of cross ties rigidly attached thereto, movable end pieces forming parte of the ties,

loosely connected to said end pieces. 1-20` 11. The 'combination with a propelling chain and means for actuating it, of a series of cross ties rigidly attached -`thereto, movi able end pieces forming portions of the ties and meansfor locking said pieces to the ties in extended positions, and ltrackways connected to said ties. l l

12. The combination with a'.propelling` chain and means for actuating it "and a series of cross ties attached thereto, of movable hook around said post and loosely connected .end pieces forming parts of said tiesA and means for locking said portions together, and jointedl tracks connected to said end pieces, the connection being formed at the joints in the tracks.

13. The combination with a lpropelling chain and means for actuating it, cross/ties rigidly attached to said chain, and movable end pieces forming parts of said ties,l of a pair of jointed endless tracks loosely connected at said joints to said movable end pieces, and guide Wheels over which said tracks travel, whereby the end pieces are moved in and out relatively toward the propelling chain. j

14. The' combination in a jointed track as described of sections one of which is formed/ With a post, a movable member having a to the other section, and the heads f the adjoining rail sections over and underlapping each other.

15. 'lhe combination withv a propelling chain and means for actuating it, cross ties rigidly attached to said chain and movable end pieces forming parts of said ties, of a pair of jointed endless tracks loosely conlnected at their joints by a universal connec- HJ ALMAR CARLSON.

Witnesses: I. GRE'rruM,

EMMA OLsoN. 

